2 Simpson Alumni Join Ramsey Team

They'll Aid Inquiry Into Girl's Slaying

February 14, 1997|The Washington Post

DENVER - — Acknowledging that it may take several more months to solve the killing of beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey, 6, officials in Boulder on Thursday announced the hiring of two former members of O.J. Simpson's defense team to aid in the investigation.

Police Chief Tom Koby and Boulder County District Attorney Alex Hunter said they also had formed an "expert prosecution task force" made up of district attorneys from several Denver-area counties.

The unit is to include two alumni of the Simpson defense team, attorney Barry Scheck and Henry Lee, head of the Connecticut state police crime lab.

"I'm going to be ready to match the resources of anyone," Hunter said, fueling speculation that the seven-week investigation might be focusing more closely on someone in JonBenet's prominent and wealthy family.

The victim's father, John Ramsey, is chief executive of the computer distribution company Access Graphics, and the family has retained a battery of attorneys, investigators and crisis spokesmen even as they have refused to submit to formal interviews with police.

Police appear to be paying renewed attention to the family this week, requesting additional handwriting samples from John Ramsey and JonBenet's mother, Patsy Ramsey, and planning another trip to Atlanta to interview family members, including John Ramsey's first wife, Lucinda Johnson.

Investigators took hair, blood and handwriting samples this week from Bill McReynolds, a neighbor who played Santa Claus at the Ramsey home during a party two days before the killing.